CBGB Founder Hilly Kristal Dies After Battle With Cancer

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After a lengthy battle with lung cancer, Hilly Kristal, the founder of legendary New York City punk club CBGB, has died at age seventy-five. Kristal, who founded and ran the East Village venue for thirty-three years, bitterly fought with his landlords to save it from closing down, but was forced to pack up his grimy club -- the sticker-covered bar, legendarily disgusting bathroom and all -- last year after he was finally evicted. Rolling Stone will have much more on Kristal and CBGB throughout the day, including a photo gallery documenting the venue's rich history, but for now, remember the last days of the club Kristal fought so hard to preserve by reflecting on its last days.

Check out a photo gallery featuring shots of the Ramones, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, and more CGBG regulars at the club here.

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Song Stories

“Jimbrowski”

Jungle Brothers | 1988

Jungle Brothers sampled, among other things, jazz, James Brown and house music. The New York crew's lyrics were equally diverse but never short on clever wordplay or a playful sense of humor, as exemplified by this song from 1988's Straight Out the Jungle. "The idea for that came at the end of a studio session, with Mike, me, Red Alert and a woman Red was dating at the time," says the group’s Afrika Baby Bam. "Red was flirting with her and kept saying 'Jimbrowski' the whole night. Mike and I wrote the rhymes on the way back from the subway."

More Song Stories entries »

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